Last week, Zero Emissions Day focused the world’s attention on the goal of reducing emissions and encourages and celebrates opportunities to achieve this goal. This has been a particularly important topic in Europe and a key part of the so-called 2020 package for European countries which aims for a:

•20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

•20% increase in energy from renewables

•20% improvement in energy efficiency.

All of these targets have featured in EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič’s initiatives, such as the EU Mobility Plan and the Battery Action Plan. So how do lead batteries help achieve the EU’s and the wider world’s goals to reduce harmful emissions?

The demand for energy globally is set to rise by 30% between 2018 and 2040. Renewable energy storage is a booming market harnessing clean energy from sources such as wind and solar and storing it in a battery in order to supply energy ‘on demand’.

Batteries play a vital role in renewable energy, with lead batteries currently providing approximately 75% of the world’s rechargeable battery capacity. This means that energy is on tap constantly, not only when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing.

So how do lead batteries contribute towards a zero-emissions world? By supporting renewable energy systems, they reduce the reliance on traditional and pollutive fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. Lead batteries, therefore, play a vital role in the reduction of emissions from energy generation and storage in applications across the globe.

Advanced lead batteries are also essential for start-stop technology, an automotive system designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. By stopping the engine when a car stops, and seamlessly restarting when the brake is released, lead batteries enable fuel consumption reductions between five and 10%.

Lead batteries are predicted to help eliminate more than 200 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 through the use of start-stop technology vehicles. The market for this technology will continue to surge from 25 million vehicles currently to 65 million vehicles by 2020, and lead batteries remain a fundamental component of this sustainable, emission-reducing technology.